The complete account of the momentous trial which led to the abolition of slavery in the Western world is told for the first time in this fascinating new book In 1772 the trial in London of James Somerset, rescued from a ship bound for the West Indies slave markets, was a decisive turning point in history. Steven M Wise has uncovered layer upon layer of fascinating revelations about the case which, according to slave owners threatened to bring the economy of the British Empire to a crashing halt. In a gripping narrative of ...
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The complete account of the momentous trial which led to the abolition of slavery in the Western world is told for the first time in this fascinating new book In 1772 the trial in London of James Somerset, rescued from a ship bound for the West Indies slave markets, was a decisive turning point in history. Steven M Wise has uncovered layer upon layer of fascinating revelations about the case which, according to slave owners threatened to bring the economy of the British Empire to a crashing halt. In a gripping narrative of Somerset's trial - and of the slave trials that led up to it - he sets the stages for the unexpected decision by the famously conservative judge, Lord Mansfield, which would lead to the abolition of slavery, both in England and the United States, and the end of the African slave trade. As the case drew to a close Lord Mansfield spoke these stirring words that continue to resound more than two centuries later: "Let Justice be done, though the Heavens may fall." The characters in this great historical moment go beyond a screenwriter's dream: Somerset's novice attorneys arguing their first case; the fervent British abolitionist Granville Sharp, who had brought case after case to court in an attempt to abolish slavery; the master's two-faced and skilful lawyer, who had recently argued before Mansfield that slavery could not exist in England; and finally, the greatest judge of his time, Lord Mansfield, whose own mulatto grand-niece, Dido Belle, was his slave.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
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Very Good. Very Good condition. Very Good dust jacket. A copy that may have a few cosmetic defects. May also contain light spine creasing or a few markings such as an owner's name, short gifter's inscription or light stamp.
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Fine in Fine jacket. First edition. Octavo. 282pp. Dual-tone paper boards. Illustrated with black and white plates. Fine in a fine dustwrapper. A look at the 1772 trial in London of James Somerset, a black man rescued from a ship bound for the West Indies slave market.
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New. Size: 9x5x1; [Stated first printing] Hardcover and dust jacket. Good binding and cover. Clean, unmarked pages. "Perhaps no trial changed the course of history as much as one that took place in London in 1772: the case of James Somerset, a black man rescued from a ship bound for the West Indies slave markets. At this landmark trial, two encompassing worldviews clashed in an event of passionate drama and far-reaching significance. Now noted [the author] recreates each moment of the case that slave owners contended would do nothing less than bring the economy of the British Empire to a crashing halt. In a narrative of Somerset's trial-and the slave trials that led up to it, he sets the stage for the extraordinary decision by the notoriously conservative judge, Lord Mansfield. That decision would set in motion the abolition of slavery in both England and the United States."-De Capo Press.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!